MIDTERM INTERVENTION - Nicole Corvi

Midterm Presentation

    Unlike most other states, New Jersey's domestic violence registry is confidential. Access is only granted to law enforcement, court officials, and those running background checks on individuals. According to statistics, nearly 30% of men and women in New Jersey have experienced rape, stalking, or physical violence from someone they considered an intimate partner (NJCEDV 2026). Despite how common these experiences are, they are often hidden from public view, protected by silence, shame, and systems that make abuse easy to overlook. This reality highlights the urgent need for greater awareness, open conversation, and acts of care.

    The work I am introducing is a series of four black-and-white images that tell the story of a domestic violence survivor through memory, using an abandoned house as a metaphor for the relationship. The first image shows a kicked-in door with shattered glass on the floor, symbolizing the abuser “breaking into” the victim’s life. The second image moves inside the home, revealing a deteriorating sofa and peeling wallpaper, suggesting a false nostalgia of what “used to be.” The third image depicts a hole in the wall and a falling picture frame, implying an act of violence and marking the point when the abuse becomes undeniable. The final image shows the exterior of the abandoned home overtaken by nature, existing only as a memory, representing the survivor leaving and reclaiming their life. Across all four images, the repeated text reads, “everyone’s wrong about you,” reflecting how abusers are often defended or misunderstood by others, and how victims may internalize that belief.

    Stylistically, I look up to the work of Glenn Martin Taylor, whose sculptures combine fragile material and powerful text. His pieces often feature broken ceramic plates or vases that are carefully reconstructed, with short phrases written across their surfaces. These words typically express raw, vulnerable emotion in just a sentence or two. I consider his work activist in nature because it confronts difficult feelings directly, challenging viewers to engage with emotions and experiences that are often silenced or hidden. I can see this specifically in his work, The Heart I'm Holding is Mine (2022). Both of our practices use minimal but direct language to confront painful experiences, changing destruction into something honest. 

The Heart I’m Holding is Mine (2022) by Glen Martin Taylor

    Another work I was drawn to while doing research for this class is Andreas Sterzing's David Wojnarowicz (Silence = Death) (1989). Wojnarowicz’s image emerged during a time when government and public silence contributed to the AIDS crisis, and in the image, his mouth is sewn shut. My work addresses domestic violence, another issue often hidden behind closed doors and misunderstood by outsiders. Both works challenge the culture of silence. 

David Wojnarowicz (Silence = Death) (1989) by Andreas Sterzing

    Most people who experience abuse within an intimate relationship remain silent and rarely confide in others. This silence can stem from fear, shame, manipulation, or the way abusers are often defended by those around them. With this project, I aim to bring awareness to the reality of domestic violence and the isolation survivors often endure. For my intervention, I want my classmates to each take 2 cards. Once for themselves, and one to keep for someone who may need it. I hope this work encourages viewers to check in on their loved ones. You never truly know what someone may be battling behind closed doors.